


In God's Image

by JorDy78



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alana isn't a great person, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Friendship, Hannibal is Hannibal, I'm Bad At Tagging, Slow Burn, Top Hannibal Lecter, Will Needs a Hug, sorry i tried
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26230636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JorDy78/pseuds/JorDy78
Summary: Rachael Bloom has always lived in her sister Alana's shadow. She isn't all that important or special. She's just a misunderstood artist who is failing at everything except working in a tiny coffee shop just a 25 minute walk from Quantico. But one day she meets Will.
Relationships: Alana Bloom & Original Female Characters, Hannibal Lecter/Original Female Character(s), Will Graham & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

It was fifteen minutes until 5 p.m when the guy walked in and Rachael sighed quietly to herself in mild frustration. She knew that it was fifteen minutes to 5 because it was a Friday and the small coffee shop she worked in closed later on Fridays, choosing to take the chance of staying open an hour later to try and attract more customers. Still Rachael couldn't be too mad at the guy since as soon as the rickety old door to the shop closed the clouds opened and heavy rainfall started outside. 

She was suddenly glad she had remembered to bring her umbrella but she didn’t get the chance to be relieved for long because the guy walked straight up to the counter briskly and ordered quickly without looking at the menu.

“Can I get a black coffee?” he said without even looking up from his shoes. He had short curly brown hair, pale skin and a little bit of stubble. He was fidgeting minutely with the sleeve of his woolen jumper and the flannel shirt he was wearing underneath looked like it had seen better days.

“Sure. Would that be a regular or a large?” Rachael asked.

“Um. Regular please” was the short reply. 

“Alright I’ll be right out with that in a second. Just take a seat somewhere and I’ll bring it to you” she said.

The man just nodded and moved to sit in one of the only two booths they had in the small cafe, the one closest to the window showing the currently bleak exterior of the normally quite pleasant street. Rachael had been working in this shop - The Red Kettle- for two years. She had just finished art school and was struggling to find a job. She hadn’t had much experience but the owner of the shop had been kind to her and the inside of the small vintage looking coffee shop had been nostalgic and inviting and even though she worked alone in the shop most of the time it wasn’t so busy and it gave her time to think. 

She stared out the window for a few seconds and let the exhaustion of the day sink in longing to be at home in her bed curled up with her sketch book and a hot chocolate but she snapped back into herself when a head of messy curls sunk into open hands and a sigh loud enough to reach her at the counter came from the other occupant of the shop. 

She quickly went through the motions of making a regular black coffee while occasionally sneaking glances at the man. He wasn’t really Rahcael’s type but she could see the appeal in him and she thought that she might draw him when she got home. She was mostly just concerned because the longer she looked at him the more she saw and what she was seeing wasn’t great. Upon closer inspection pale skin seemed grey and clammy. Fidgeting seemed more like an unconscious expression of anxiety . Sighs went from mundane to exhausted and frustrated.  
Despite herself Rachael wanted to give him a hug and make him feel even slightly better so after careful consideration she made herself some hot chocolate with his coffee and snagged two chocolate chip cookies from the jar on counter and walked up to the table setting both drinks down along with the little side plate with the cookies and plonked down opposite from him with a content sigh.

The man flinched a little and tensed up not saying anything while his eyebrows knitted together behind his thick clunky glasses that were not all that different from her own. Seeing this reaction she quickly guessed that she would have to be the one to say something first.

“Sorry to invade your space. You just looked a little stressed and considering you walked in and I didn’t see a car I thought you might want some company” thunder crashed in the background almost as if to emphasise her. She bit her lip harp as she continued to intently watch him for a reaction. The only one she got was his frown deepening a little and his eye quickly darting to her face for a second then going back to the cup that he now held between his hands. She started to feel like a complete ass as the silence passed between them and she desperately wished she had just stayed behind the counter.

“ You, uh, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to and if you want me to leave you alone then I will . I’m so sorry to have disturbed you. I didn’t mean to freak you out. You can just come over if you change your mind but like…” she trailed off feeling her face fill with heat and feeling really awkward for trying to make someone she didn’t even know feel better. She shifted slightly getting ready to head back to the counter and leave this poor man in peace when he said.

“No. No. You can stay. I’m just not very good at being social. Not many people approach me and when they do it’s never like this” he gestured to the coffee and cookie and he looked at me again his face going red this time.

“Oh it’s alright. I thought I’d crossed some boundary or something hehe. I’m Rachael” she said smiling slightly and feeling super relieved and glad she hadn’t made some unknown faux pas. 

“I’m Will Graham” he replied, eyes darting to her chin then back to the coffee. Rachael didn’t mind since he at least attempted a small smile at her before hunching in on himself slightly. As long as she hadn’t done anything wrong she was fine. She just had a feeling that that was what he needed right now. Someone who was alright with him. And also maybe a hug but she didn’t think he would let her do that.

It was 6:30 p.m when the rain let up and they had gone through three more cookies and a drink each. By that point Rachael knew that Will lived alone, that he had seven dogs, that he worked for the FBI, that his favorite colour was blue, and that his favorite thing to do outside of work was fly-fishing but not why he was so stressed and tired. She was ok with that since her main goal was to make him feel better. He probably knew a great deal more about her since she had to carry the conversation mostly telling humorous stories about her work in The Red Kettle or speaking about her art. The light was starting to fade and she knew she had to get walking if she wanted to make it home before it was dark since the clouds ment it would get dark sooner.

She had just finished telling a story about this one kid who had come into the store and tried to buy one of the 2 dollar cookies in pennies he’d found and their laughter and just faded, clinging to the comfortable silence in a pleasant way that she was reluctant to end. She sighed.

“Well Will I gotta bounce. I still have to lock up and I need to walk home. Do you need me to call someone for you?” she asked slightly concerned again as she watched some of the mirth drain from his grey looking face. 

“No I’ll be alright. Quantico is a 25 minute walk from here and my car is there” he replied. But she could tell it wasn’t alright. She didn’t want to push him since she hadn’t even known the guy for two hours but she could see he was super tense and upset about something. She could tell he didn’t want to talk about it and that he just wanted to escape it. She didn’t know why but she felt sorry for him. She wished she could help him in some way without making it weird. 

“Ok. Just. If you want to then you can come back next Friday. We close at 5 and owners always let me lock up. We can do this again” she said to him and smiled at him in a way she hoped was reassuring. His eyes darted up at her chin again and his open posture almost tensed again his face filling with red .

“Umm. I mean- I would say yes . But I’m not really looking for a relationship right now…” he trailed off this time staring almost longingly at the door. She felt like she was going to melt. Her face filled with heat again as she blushed harder than she had ever done in her life. 

“Oh no me either. I just meant as ya know friends. I don’t like you like THAT. I mean you’re not unattractive you’re just not my type” she stuttered out. She felt her face heat up even more if that was possible and she covered her face with her hands. It was only for a second though, as she heard Will start laughing. She looked up from her hands realizing her mistake and mock glared at him. 

“How dare you! That was so cruel. Oh my god, I almost thought I had messed up completely. Screw you Will” she said trying for angry but not managing to keep in her own smile and soon she ended up laughing with him.

“Sorry sorry. It was just too easy. I guess I’ll be here next Friday. I mean if you want” he said growing nervous at the end. Rachael rolled her eyes and smiled sunnily at him.

“Of course silly. I was the one who offered” was her earnest reply. For the first time in their conversation Will looked in her eyes searching her face for any deceit. Finding none he sent a timid smile back. This was the start a of beautiful friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachael checked the time on her phone again knowing what it would say but desperately wishing that she could just turn back time if only it was to just get over herself and say sorry. Yep 6:30. She had to head home. She slowly stood up from her place in the booth and took her empty cut to the sink in the back as well as the small side plate with a cookie on it and the other mug full of now cold black coffee.

When she started the 20 minute trek home she thought about what had gone wrong. She and Will had had a stable friendship for around three months. It was a very particular one though and there were a few unspoken rules. The routine was this.

Will would come every Friday at 5 p.m. and she could make him a black coffee while she had hot chocolate. They would each have a chocolate chip cookie and they would talk about random things and they would leave at 6:30 p.m. They never spoke about Will's job or anything that involved his health and they never spoke about Rachael's family situation. Everything else had been fair game and they'd had a few really great conversations together. But the other unspoken rule was that they never exchanged numbers or attempted to contact the other outside of The Red Kettle.

Rachael didn't know Will's reason for this but hers had been easy to figure out when she thought about it. One of the reasons she got on so well with Will was because she only saw him once per week for an hour and a half. She has never been a social person and if she was around a person too much then she might grow to resent them and she didn't want that with Will. She cared about him a lot even if it was just as a friend. 

She didn't know if she'd ever see him again though. She'd messed up really badly. She had broken almost all of their rules. It wasn't her fault though, she thought in frustration. She didn't have a choice at the time. It was so bad that she had almost called Alana. Almost. She wasn't ready to stop that low. Not yet. 

Flashback  
"...and so I'm thinking about teaching her fly-fishing when her psychiatrist gives me the ok" Will said animatedly. She smiled but inside she was worried. Will was telling her about Abigail, his niece whose father had passed away recently, so he was having to take up the father role in her life. He had been enjoying it so much and every time they spoke he would say more about her. She knew so much about the young woman she felt like she knew her herself. But she was worried about Will.

Every time he walked into this tiny little shop to escape whatever was chasing him out there he looked worse. His clothes looked slightly disheveled, not much but just enough to see they were a little out of place. His hands would shake and fidget and whenever he lifted his coffee to sip she could see a fine tremor in them. His skin was even more pale and clammy than usual and his face was gaunt, pronouncing the deep blue bags under his eyes and the increasingly unkempt stubble dusting his jaw. The worst was his eyes. She would watch as they either darted manically around the room as if searching for something or lose all their light and emotion, as if she were looking at the unwilling corpse of her friend. She worried her lip and looked away hoping she could hide her concern from him before he noticed. Of course she was never that lucky. 

"Rachael what's the matter?" he asked not understanding what she was feeling. She looked at him again and this time noticed the slight sheen of sweat on his brow in the waning light. It was chilly in the cafe. So chilly that she had opted to take off her grey apron in exchange for her warm black sweater. She steeled herself for what she knew was coming. 

"I'm worried about you Will". The silence that followed was nothing like their usual camaraderie. It felt cold and oppressive and Will was looking at her now like he never had before. His eyes held an emotion she had never seen in them before. She didn't want to analyze what it was so she continued. 

"Every time I see you, you look worse. Like you're sick and you try to avoid it so much. Will you're sweating and it's like 15 degrees( °C, 59°F i think) in here and you're sweating! You keep zoning out when you're not talking. I had to call your name for 10 full minutes to bring you back to me. I can't keep pretending. You need to go to a doctor. Please" she begged as she tried to convey all of her feelings to him. Mentally she was so anxious that he would be mad that she wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Will's shoulders slumped in defeat and his voice came out in a quiet croak. "I've been to a doctor already. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just unstable " the last part came out in a whisper and her heart broke for the desperation and defeat in his eyes. He'd never shown her this kind of vulnerability before. 

She carefully took one of his slightly larger hands into hers and she leaned over the table a little to emphasize what she was about to. 

"It's alright Will. We can find you someone who can help. My sister is a psychiatrist so I know a thing or two. I can help you for the time being until we find a real psychiatrist to help you. You can get better Will. You can do it. For yourself and for Abigail".   
End Flashback 

Rachael had known as soon as she had said the last word that she had misspoken. She would never forget the anger and betrayal she had seen in his expressive blue eyes just as she would never forget the fight that had followed. The one where she said things she wishes she hadn't. 

She swallowed back tears as she opened the door to her cozy one bedroom apartment. She went to her bedroom and quickly deposited her small handbag on the ground of her otherwise neat bedroom before taking off her boots, putting on her favorite faded blue hoodie and flopping onto her bed with a sigh. 

She lay there for a few seconds with her eyes closed just savoring the peace the gesture brought. She wondered what would have happened if she had called Alana. She knew that Alana was good at her job despite not being the best sister. Maybe she could have helped Will. But Alana worked for the FBI too. Or at least she had when they had last spoken. Surely Will would have met her already. But if that was the case then why hadn't Alana helped him already? 

She scowled up at the roof. She didn't want to think about her dear sister right now. She decided to take a shower hoping that it would at least warm her up. She huffed at the thought. She'd always gotten cold really easily, even when she was a child. One winter when she was eight it had gotten so cold that she decided she wasn't going to leave her bed for the whole winter. Alana had decided that if she was doing that then her older sister would do it too. We managed to last 3 days in the same bed sleeping and giggling quitely with only bathroom breaks and going to the kitchen for food, when their mother had told them to get out of bed to help get ready for Christmas. 

She shook her head to clear away the memories and then got up heading towards her bathroom. It had a small vanity with just enough space for her skin care products and her toothbrush and a mirror as well as a toilet and a rather spacious shower. The shower was her favorite part of the day because it was warm and it was the only time she would ever indulge in karaoke. 

She put the shower on and then after some consideration put on Ghost Stories by Coldplay on with her phone because if she couldn't escape her nostalgic mood then she would at least embrace it with grace. As she showered she sang and pondered her melancholic mood. 

She understood why. She missed Will. But she didn't understand why that made her think about Alana. She hadn't thought about her for months and had thought that she was completely erased from her mind. It was probably because the only people she spoke to were Mrs. Brown the shop owner, Kelly a fellow waitress and Tyler her agent. She didn't have a life outside of Will. Pathetic. 

She turned off the shower and and wrapped a towel around herself as she got out. She dried herself quickly and moisturized her skin with her favorite vanilla skin cream. Looked at herself in the vanity mirror as she washed and moisturized her face. She looked a lot like Alana. Her features were the same as Alana's, only seeming like the milder version due to her smaller face and larger eyes. Children had always made fun of her at school saying that her large blue eyes had made her look like a bug. Her hair was darker than Alana's too if she remembered correctly. Her hair was pitch black and and straight though it was deceptively soft and silky. It hung limply just above her shoulders now it's cut choppy and uneven. 

She had done that on purpose. She was spared from her mind forcing her to recall the painful memory as her music stopped and her phone let out three sharp trills. She looked at the screen in surprise only for it to morph into more shock as she saw who was calling. 

Almost as if her thoughts alone had summoned her Alana Bloom was calling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again. I forgot what happens to me when I write so I went to bed and I couldn't sleep so I spewed another chapter. Same as the last chapter. Please comment or critique so I can get better. Stay safe and have a fantabulous day <3


	3. Chapter 3

Rachael stared at her phone for second in disbelief. She scrubbed at her eyes vigorously and checked again. The screen still displayed the same thing, a picture of her and Alana from back when she had been in art school and Alana had come to take her shopping for the day. It was one of the only good times she could remember spending with her sister. The phone once again rang three times.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, shoved on her thick black glasses, clicked the green icon on the screen and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello Alana" she said, keeping her voice steady and measured and making sure her mind stayed on pleasant topics. 

"Rachael. It's… nice to speak to you again" came the reply with a little inflection on the word 'nice'.

"I would say likewise but don't like lying. Even to you" Rachael said tugging lightly on her hair in a nervous gesture she was glad Alana couldn't see. 

"Well I'm happy you're honest with me. So how was your day? " Alana asked in a seemingly pleasant tone as if they spoke like this all the time. Rachael knew better than to trust it. 

"Alright cut the crap. Why did you call me? You wouldn't have just randomly decided to speak with me after almost 2 years of not even checking on me unless you need something desperately " she said. 

Alana sighed deeply and she knew something was up. 

"I need a favor" she relented and Rachael huffed derisively but she just continued.

"One of my work friends has been arrested and he had several dogs that I have brought home to look after but they have a tight schedule and they need to be walked and fed every afternoon. Only tomorrow night I'm going to be having dinner with another friend and there's no one else I can think to ask" she said. It wasn't phrased like a question. More like she was being told what to do but that's not what made her pause. 

Hadn't she thought earlier that day about how Will and Alana might know each other from work? Sure it was a massive leap but she was just paranoid enough to think it. Surely Alana would have helped him though. Even though she was a shitty sister she was a good psychiatrist. Suddenly her eyes widened and she felt like she could barely breathe. She had to know if it was him.

"Wait. Which work friend Alana? What was their name?" she asked knowing she sounded desperate but not particularly caring at that moment. 

"His name was Will. Will Graham. Why do you ask?" she said curiosity coloring her tone.

The air whooshed out of her and she gripped the vanity tightly panicking a little now. 

"Because I know him. He's my friend. What did he do?". 

" He's been charged with murdering a young woman who he snuck out of a psychiatric facility. How did you know him?". Alana was surprised now but still curious. She was in her analysis mode, happy to indulge in a little 'professional' curiosity even if it was at the expense of her sister. Rachael grimaced but quickly made her face neutral again knowing that she would need to remain calm so that this conversation didn't devolve into an argument. 

"I met him at work a couple months ago. He would come on Friday afternoons and have coffee with me. The girl he's accused of killing. Is it Abigail?" she asked half dreading the answer. 

"Yes. Did he tell you about her? He never really spoke about her with anyone else" Alana said.

Rachael ignored the question. Alana had already come to her own conclusions about the situation. She was just really confused. Will had loved Abigail. She could tell from the way he spoke about her that he would do anything for and that he would never hurt her.

"Alana Will could never hurt Abigail. He loved her too much to even think about harming her. Anyone who knew him would be able to tell that" she said.

"The overwhelming evidence at the crime scene says differently. Besides nobody can really tell what state of mind he was in when he did it. You can't know someone you've just met is a good person just because they give a little extra tips. " Alana said acidly. 

All the emotions Rachael had been trying to hold back throughout this conversation came rushing back back . Hurt, sadness, bitterness, betrayal and abandonment mixing together and becoming a familiar burning rage that settled in her skull, so potent that she could almost hear the slow beat of her own heart in her ears. 

She allowed the silence from a few seconds while she composed herself. She let go of the vanity and looked into her own eyes in the mirror acknowledging the heat of the emotions there, trying to remind herself that she cannot have the revenge that she had craved so desperately for so long. She took a deep breath and looked away from herself before she spoke again.

"You have no idea what I can tell about a person. Just because I work in a coffee shop doesn't mean I'm so desperate for money that I would fool myself about someone's character. That you would think that is insulting but that's not new when it comes to you. I'm just as intelligent as you and I could have been twice the doctor you are if I had wanted but I chose to do something I was passionate about instead of becoming Dr. Bloom number 4 like the mummy wanted so badly. You know what? I gave you the benefit of the doubt for so long but you are just like her and given the chance I wouldn't go to your funeral either. I'll be at your house at 5 pm tomorrow. Just know that I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Will".

She cut the call before Alana had the chance to respond. She was upset that she hadn't got to ask where they were keeping Will but she had a pretty good idea since Freddie Lounds was always calling will insane in her stupid little magazine. They would have to keep him in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in order to avoid public outrage. 

She knew that Will might not want to see her but she had to try and get to him if only to apologize. She decided that she would try and see him tomorrow before going to Alana's. Maybe if she got to talk to him first she would be in a better mood and she wouldn't fight with Alana again. 

She looked at herself in the mirror and forced herself to relax. She had thought that she had suppressed everything well enough that she wouldn't feel that way anymore but the fact that she still did was concerning. What was even more concerning however was the tingling anticipation that she could feel in her hands. Almost as if there were claws in the tips of her delicate fingers that wanted to break the skin. She clenched and clenched her hands. She needed to get control of herself or she was gonna end up in the same place as Will. 

She looked away from herself again as she donned her fluffy pink pajamas. Tomato soup and toast for dinner seemed like just the thing she needed.

_

She didn't know this place but that was ok. She was feeling calm and safe and floaty.

She was sitting at a round table in a room with four grey walls and a window right across from her allowing her to see the dreary landscape outside. There was no door to the room and the table was black and smooth made out of what appeared to be mahogany. 

She ran her hand over the grooves in the wood only for her head to snap up in surprise when an awful gurgling voice spoke. 

"You're a waste! Even after I paid for your worthless education you refuse to use even that. You're pathetic. A disappointment. I could never love such a disgrace".

She's heard all this before of course. She looks at her mother who is suddenly sitting right next to her on her left. Her salt and pepper hair is matted and full of grime. Her face is decomposed in some places and her eyes are a dull grey. The picture is completed with her head being at an awkward angle - her neck obviously snapped- and her limbs mangled and broken. Before she can reply a voice comes from her left. 

"You'll never be as clever as I am. I'm beautiful and successful and all you have is your tiny apartment and shitty job. Even your stupid little friend left you. You should have let me use you. At least then you'd have a purpose ". 

It was Alana sitting next to her. Only her head was brutally unevenly shaved and her throat slit from ear to ear leaking blood onto the table. Just as she got enough time to take this in another voice spoke from in front of her this time. 

"You failed me. You called me insane just like all the rest of them. You were supposed to be different. I don't deserve to be where I am. Only scum like you should be in this place. You deceived me and I can never trust you again". 

It was Will. He wasn't injured. She was relieved by that even though she was confused by what he was saying. 

"What are you talking about Will? I never lied to you" she said as she tries to keep the tremor from her voice. 

When he looks into her eyes his eyes are as dead as her mother and Alana's. 

"We can see his blood in your hair Rachael. We know what you did".

The response filled her with dread accompanied by the awareness that her waist length black hair is sticky and wet. She keeps eye contact with Will as she runs her fingers through her wet hair. They come back red. 

_

Rachael sat bolt upright in her bed gasping and shivering. She is freezing and her body is covered in a light sheen of sweat. She curses as she realized that she must have gotten too warm and kicked the blankets off in her sleep. It wouldn't be the first time.

She checks the time on her phone as she calms her breathing to a steady. It's nine o'clock in the morning so there's no point in sleeping in any longer even though she's still tired. She yawns and stretches regretfully deciding to start the day. She reaches down to the ground and picks up her sketchbook book and pencils from where she had deposited them in the early hours of the morning when she finally decided to get some sleep. 

She takes another shower realizing she would need one after her dream. It wasn't the first time she had had a dream like that but it was the first time Will had been in one. She had actually stayed up so long in an attempt to avoid having those dreams. Truthfully she wasn't afraid of them but she was afraid of the memories and urges that came with them. She had given them up long ago and now she had her private sketchbook to soothe those urges and tame her fantasies. She would make it work even if she had to draw for three days straight. 

She got ready for the day fairly quickly deciding to have some coffee and toast for breakfast and wearing blue skinny jeans and an emerald turtleneck sweater. By the time she was done it was ten thirty. She decided to do her grocery shopping as her cupboards were looking decidedly bare. When she was done with that it was twelve and she still had about three hours to burn before she would try to see Will. She decided to read a novel until she left which turned into a short nap. Before she knew it she was sitting in her light blue Volkswagen outside the BSHCI hyping herself up to go in. 

As she left her care and entered the building she examined her feeling of nervousness. She wasn't afraid of the inmates here or at least she didn't think so. She was afraid that they would see through her. That she had some obvious tell and they wouldn't let her leave. Still she gathered her courage and approached the nurse at the front desk. 

"Hi. Is there a Will Graham here?"she asked.

The nurse looked at her for a second then typed something onto the keyboard in front of her and looked at the monitor before answering her.

" Sure is hon. You an approved visitor?" the lady asked kindly. 

"I don't think so" she answered immediately knowing it was true. " Is there anyone I can speak to to become an approved visitor?" she asked.

"Yeah. Let me take you to Dr. Chilton. I'm sure he can help you dear" the nurse said standing up from behind the desk and leading the way deeper into the hospital. It was almost disconcertingly easy to be let into such a secure facility but then again people often trusted her easily since she was small and unassuming. 

Soon she found herself sitting in a needlessly ornate office sitting across someone who was so obviously far too full of himself. She sighed internally already wishing she was gone. 

"So Miss Bloom you're Will Graham's friend?" The question was needless and the smarmy tone in which it was uttered was extremely annoying. 

"Yes. I would really like to see him. I'm quite worried you see and I think he might feel better if I got to speak to him" she replied, filling her tone with an earnestness that she truly felt and a hope she wished she had. Thankfully Chilton ate it up, nodding and humming and trying really hard to look like he wasn't as curious as he was. 

"Unfortunately Miss Bloom we're only allowing approved personnel to visit him. He's quite unstable you understand. We don't want him to hurt anyone. Emotionally or otherwise "he said trying for sympathy. Rachael knew she was gonna have to pull out the big guns. 

She widened her eyes behind her glasses and bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to make them water. 

"Surely there must be some way? Please I know it's a lot to ask but I care about Will so much. I just want to know he's ok". It wasn't a lie. Just not the whole truth. Chilton shifted in his seat and looked a little uncomfortable now. 

"It's alright don't cry. Look, there are only two people who can approve you to see him. You already know one of them, Dr.Bloom, but it would be a conflict of interest for you to see her for obvious reasons- ",he looked like he was sorry to say that but Rachael was just glad. Alana would never have approved her,"- and the other is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He is a very good psychiatrist and Will speak with him often. If you can just get him to sign this paperwork for you then you can see Will whenever you'd like". 

Chilton looked bitter when he spoke about Lecter but Rachael just smiled and looked appropriately delighted when she was handed the papers and a business card for Dr. Hannibal Lecter. She left the building not satisfied but at least on her way to it. She hoped Alana wasn't there when she got to the house. She didn't know if she could take more frustration today.


	4. Chapter 4

Arriving at Alana's house proved to yield no relief as she saw that Alana's car was still parked resolutely in the driveway. 

She lowered her head to the steering wheel and let out a full body sigh. She needed to control herself. She had been strong enough to contain herself for 27 years, she would be able to do it for however long her sister decided to speak before she left for her oh so important dinner. 

She got out of the car and walked up to the house. She didn't bother knocking, knowing the door would be unlocked and unwilling to suffer through any awkward greetings. Her sister was waiting for her in the kitchen. There were seven dog leads on the counter apparently waiting for use on the walk she would be taking the dogs on. 

Her sister was wearing a simple black dress that ended just above her knees and 3 inch black heels. She was leaning against the counter with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed in a position that seemed purposefully similar to the position she had been in on that fateful day 2 years ago. This in turn made Rachael scowl too. They stared at each other for a few seconds, neither of them wanting to relent before Rachae broke the silence. 

"Hello Alana. I thought you'd have left by now. I thought I made it clear last night that I didn't want to see you" she said. 

" I can't believe you were childish enough to hang up on me. I wasn't done talking" Alana said ignoring the greeting. 

"Well I don't remember receiving any more calls so you mustn't have wanted to talk as much as you think" she replied, trying to inject as much venom as she could into the barb. 

"I knew you wouldn't pick up if I called you. Besides when you think you're defending your 'friends' you tend to become quite impulsive ". 

Rachael had to stop herself from flinching at the way Alana said 'friends' and barely managed to stop herself from sneering before she could reply. 

"Well forgive me for trying to convince the oh so insightful Dr. Bloom that my friend didn't murder his niece". 

"Niece? Is that what he told you?" Alana asked in a mocking tone. Rachael narrowed her eyes and braced herself recognizing when her sister was about to be needlessly cruel. 

"Abigail Hobbs was not Will Graham's niece. She was the daughter of the Minnesota Shrike, who Will shot ten times in front of her. He then formed some twisted bond with the girl only to then, not only kill her but eat her just like her father" Alana told her in a malicious tone that brooked no argument. 

Rachael was shocked and a little betrayed but she was careful not to show it on her face. She had read about the Shrike case on TattleCrime but she didn't know Will's Abigail was THAT Abigail. Still she wasn't too upset since they never spoke about work when they spent time together and it's not like she had told Will that she had a sister or that said sister was this lunatic. When they spoke again -because they would speak again, she was sure of it- then they would both have a lot of explaining to do. She didn't have any reason to feel betrayed. 

"I stand by what I said whether she was his actual niece or not. He loved her like one and he would never hurt her. You may be a good psychiatrist but when it comes to the people who you should know the most about, you're blind Alana. No matter what you say I'm still going to care about Will and I'm still going to see him. I'm not going to make the mistake of listening to you again" she said, calming herself again. Still she knew she had to end this conversation quickly. Her patience was running thin much faster than she anticipated. 

"You can't see him. You're not on the list of approved personnel. I'm the only one who can approve you and I don't think I will. There's no way someone as unstable as you can be allowed to see Will". She looked superior when she said this. Like she had won some prize and she was going to savor it. Rachael almost lost it at the lie and she had to physically clench her fists in order to hold herself back. She cleared her throat and said in a deceptively soft voice. 

"Actually Alana, there is another person who I can see. A Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I don't know if you know him but I'm going to be calling him Monday to set an appointment and get the approval papers signed. Now you had best leave you're going to be late for dinner ". 

Alana huffed and stormed out of the kitchen. Distantly she heard the front door slam and she stood there for a couple more seconds to reign herself in. If she didn't manage to control herself better then she was gonna do something stupid. 

_

Rachael had had a great time looking after Will's dogs. When Alana had left she hadn't said anything about their names or how much food and water to give them but she had figured it out pretty easily since they had name tags on their collars and there was a measurement cup in the food bag. The walk had been pleasant and she'd had lots of fun throwing the ball around the yard for them when they got back. She shouldn't have favorites but she found that she liked Winston the best. He was just so cute. 

She was getting ready to leave Alana's when she saw that Alana had hung up some new pictures since she had last been here. She knew looking would probably be a bad idea but she was too curious to pass it up. She wished she had just left. 

There were two new pictures. One was of their mother. She looked really young in the photograph, appearing to be in her early twenties. She looked a lot like them with the exception of her brown eyes but though that one was a little upsetting it was not the one that made her pause. 

The second photo was a picture of Alana and a young man. He was taller than Alana and had tanned skin and electric blue hair and almost black looking eyes. He was wearing a tank top and black jeans with chains decorating them and he had tattoos and some face piercings. He had his arm around Alana's waist and they were both smiling goofily at the camera. He looked like he was having fun. Like he didn't have a care in the world. Even though he was smiling at the camera his eyes were partially on Alana as if checking she was really there. The adoration in his eyes was as clear as it was painful. 

Rachael swallowed just the burning in her eyes and took a deep breath against the rage and sorrow that clawed up her throat like bile almost causing her to sob. She hadn't seen Bandit's face in 2 years. Suddenly she was very glad that Alana wasn't here. If she had been then Rachael knew only one of them would have left.

_

She was sitting at the table in the grey room again only this time she was doing something.

In her hands she had her Dremel, which she was using to carve intricate swirling patterns and runes into a cleaned and dried radius. She put the Dremel down after she was done and started to fill the patterns in with some slowly concealing blood. It took her a while but finally she was pleased with her work. 

She looked up to her left where Alana sat, eyes staring blankly forward and throat slit. Her open right forearm sat on the table missing one of it's bones.It wasn't leaking blood on the table anymore and Rachael was glad about that. It meant less mess to clean up after.

"You know your body has 206 bones in total. I wonder how many I can make look pretty before someone notices you're gone". 

_

Rachael woke up in her bed with a groan. This was the third night in a row of having one of those dreams. At least this one wasn't as bad a s the previous night's dreams in which she had dreamt of slowly cutting open her sister's chest cavity and using her ribs to create a beautifully ornate jewelry box. Still it left her feeling uncomfortable and twitchy, her hands desperately knowing what they wanted to do but her brain forcing them to stay still. 

The alarm on her phone went off snapping her out of her revelry and making her realize that it was 8 o'clock on Monday and that in an hour it would be an acceptable time to call Dr. Lecter's office and set up an appointment. 

With that in mind she got out of bed and started her daily routine. She showered, got dressed, did her hair,and made her bed. She even had breakfast which she normally never did since The Red Kettle only opened at 10 am so she usually woke up at nine. She was just overly excited to get those god damned papers signed. She really needed to see Will. 

Even after all that was done she still had fifteen minutes, so she got out her private sketchbook which she hid in a secret compartment in her dresser, and started to draw the radius she had carved in her dream. She could almost feel the Dremel in her hands. Almost smell the blood and the slightly burnt smell of the bone dust in the air. If she was doing it for real she would be of course wearing a mask but she was just reliving her fantasies right now. By the time she was done it was 9:15 and she didn't hesitate to call the number on the business card she had been given by Chilton.

She had been expecting to be answered by a receptionist so she was surprised when a lightly accented Male voice answered the phone. 

"Hello this is Dr. Lecter speaking. How may I help you?" 

She floundered for a second, for some reason flustered by this unknown man's voice. 

"Yes. My name is Rachael. Rachael Bloom. I was wondering if you possibly had some time free this week so we could meet? I'm friends with Will Graham and Dr. Chilton from the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane said that I would need to speak to you in order to make that happen " she said trying to sound put together. 

He paused for a second then said. 

"I would definitely like to see you sometime this week. Anyone who is a friend of Will Graham would prove intriguing. I am free tomorrow afternoon at 5 pm. Is that a suitable time for you?" came the smooth voice from the other side. 

"Yeah that works perfectly " she replied already dreading and anticipating that time. 

"Perfect. See you then".

The line went dead but Rachael didn't mind. She was going to have to do some serious meditation before the meeting tomorrow. There was no way she was letting any psychiatrist see her in an emotion other than calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Sorry that the chapter lengths are weird. They just seem like the right place to leave it so I'm like meh. Also I'm sorry to leave you hanging again without having Hannibal in the chapter at all. The set up is quite important because we need to see how unstable and hurt Rachael is right under the surface before she sees Hannibal. Also I am not an artist. I can't even draw a stick man right. Idk how a Dremel works but my sibling has one so I know it exists. Stay safe and have a great day <3


	5. Chapter 5

Rachael took a deep breath as she sat in the tastefully decorated waiting rooms of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Then another. And another. 

She was trying to salvage what little patience she had left with only 5 minutes until her appointment. She's had a shitty day. Probably the worst day she's had in a long time. 

First she'd woken up in a cold sweat after having another one of her bloody dreams. In this one she had dreamt of herself carefully cutting off the smooth skin of Alana's back then using it as a canvas to paint a beating heart onto the skin in her own blood. The finishing touch had been intricately carving weaving patterns into her rib bones and then carefully slotting them together to create an ornate picture frame. 

When she'd woken her hands had been tingling worse than they almost ever had but she couldn't do anything about that because she quickly realized that she had accidentally slept in and she was almost late for work. After an inordinate amount of cursing and an extremely unpleasant run she found herself in The Red Kettle miserably wishing she'd had the time to take a shower at home. 

Her day was not about to get any better though. No not by a long shot. She'd had to listen to Kelly prattle on about her oaf of a boyfriend for the better part of the day and then had to deal with some extremely uncomfortable probing from Mrs. Brown about her 'mysterious visitor ' on Friday evenings and had to come up with a reason why he wouldn't be coming around anymore. 

Then Tyler had called. Why in the name of all things holy she thought he'd be a good fit for her as a manager was beyond her. They'd had an almost epic argument about her carving and painting again. Apparently there was going to be a charity gala in four months and all the up and coming artists in Baltimore were donating a collection. Tyler said that her best work had always been her carvings and paintings. Naturally she refused. Her dreams had come back with a vengeance recently and she didn't want to risk herself by doing either of those incendiary activities. Tyler obviously didn't understand and had even urged her to seek professional help if she still experienced trauma from the events of the years prior. Ha. If only he knew. In the end she had been forced to compromise as she really didn't want to argue with Tyler let alone speak with the man.

What that means is that she would at some point this week have to visit her storage locker and collect her painting supplies. She would have to walk in there, see her Dremel, walk past her carving knives and utensils, take her painting supplies and leave. Without taking what she really wanted. 

Needless to say her hands that were tingling this morning were now practically on fire and she had to speak to a shrink for at least half an hour. She was starting to think that maybe all her bad karma was coming back to bite her in the ass. 

She checked the time on her phone 4:59 . She closed her eyes. Took another breath. Clenched and clenched her hands. Control. Get back some control. 

The door to Dr. Lecter's office opens and she opens her eyes to look at him. Tall with dirty blonde graying hair, a handsome angular face with brown almost red looking eyes. To top it all off the loudest plaid tailored suit of red and black she's ever seen. She couldn't resist noticing his hands too. How his one hand looked on the door knob. Large and dry and well manicured with long fingers that spoke of many years of honing fine motor skills. 

She really must have bad karma if the one shrink she has to speak to so that she can see Will is the most attractive man she has seen in years. Why does her life have to be so goddamned difficult sometimes?

\----

Hannibal would be lying to himself if he tried to convince himself he wasn't curious when he'd had an agitated Alana over for dinner the other night. It would be an even more outrageous lie if he thought he wasn't even more curious when she mentioned the reason for her apparent agitation. Rachael Bloom. Alana's sister 

Still Hannibal wasn't a person who was often in the habit of lying to himself so he had inquired as much as he could but her. An artist apparently and very stubborn according to her sister. It had been odd to hear Alana speak about someone with such disdain but Hannibal wouldn't lie and say he didn't enjoy it. In fact he was almost entertained. More entertained than he had been since Will's arrest. 

He had been attempting to keep himself busy with some other projects such as Abigail but was finding it hard to get much enjoyment out of it knowing that Will might not get his Becoming. It had bothered him more than he thought it would. Will was just another project. He should not be affected by seeing him so distressed. So when Rachael Bloom had called asking for an appointment to get approval to see Will he leapt at the distraction. He was even more interested in Miss Bloom knowing that she had some connection with Will. He had barely been able to get through the day with his anticipation. 

He was rewarded now with being able to finally satisfy his curiosity as his watch informed him it was 5 o'clock. He walked to the door of his office and swung it open. 

She was sitting in one of the armchairs provided in his waiting rooms facing the door. She sat with her jean clad legs crossed and was wearing a pink floral shirt that was obviously supposed to make her look dressed up for their appointment but it was clear that it was the best she had in her wardrobe if her second-rate shoes said anything about her style.Hannibal observed that her body language was very tense and almost hostile looking. But her most interesting feature was her eyes. They were very large and were the centerpiece of her face being a beautifully clear cerulean around the iris but an almost black navy around the edges. He was sure that no matter what she tried to hide her eyes betrayed her. Right now they showed a tumultuous ocean in the midst of a storm, barely hidden, badly contained, and having depths in which monsters of the most grotesque nightmare, waiting to be unleashed. 

Hannibal knew in that moment that he must be the one to release the storm.

His face stretched into a polite smile. 

“Miss Bloom I presume? Please come in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like such an ass. I haven't written in such a long time and I leave you guys on a cliff hanger again :(. I'm sorry I've just had a super intense time since I last updated but hopefully I can publish at least once a week from now on. I'm already working on the next one so it'll probably be out soon. Also I don't have a beta so if there are any typos or weird sentences then sorry. Anyway.  
> Have an awesome day friends! Stay safe :) <3


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Lecter’s office was really something else. Rachael had not been in many psychiatrist offices before but if she were to guess she would think that this would be one of the higher end ones. The contents and style of the office spoke volumes about their owner. Minimalist, elegant, sophisticated. 

As Rachael finished making these observations she looked at Dr. Lecter sitting across from her. They both stared at each other for a few more seconds, taking each other in. Neither of them had said anything since they had sat down. She knew from experience that this was a power play to see who would crack first and who would control the flow of conversation. Luckily for her she didn’t really mind as long as she got what she needed from this encounter. She broke the silence.

“So you already know why I came here. I really would like to see Will again. As soon as possible really. So what do I need to do to get this paper signed?”

He shifted slightly and brought his left leg to cross his right leg and leaned back into his chair in a gesture of calm and confidence and then replied.

“All you need to do is to demonstrate your mental stability and competency for which I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But I also need to determine the intended purpose of your visits in order to estimate if your visits will cause you or Will any mental stress or torment” He paused for a second before he continued speaking. “So the first question for you to ponder is what reason do you want to see Will Graham?”

She she thought for a second as she took in his demeanor. She would have to be careful about what she said because for all his appearances of being calm she had the feeling he was cataloging her every movement and he would recall every word she spoke. She decided to play along and let him think he was in control of the encounter by mirroring his posture and sighing as if in defeat. The best deceptions were based in truth after all.

“Will and I have been friends for a while. I work in a small cafe near Quantico and he came in one afternoon looking really downtrodden, I thought ‘what the heck’ so I made small talk with him. He came back the next week and the next . We became close and he told me about his niece Abigail. Everything sounded right as rain”. At this point she made sure that her previously open features and smiling collapsed in on themselves.”Then he stopped coming. I only found out why by coincidence. As you know Dr. Bloom and I are sisters-” she tried her hardest not to sound bitter as she said that, “-and she called me randomly. I know will doesn’t have many friends so I thought he might need one around now.” Rachael made sure to smile convincingly at the end of her small speech to make it all sound more believable. She really hoped she was pulling this off. Her hands were still on fire and all she wanted was to go home and draw for hours to quell the urges she was feeling right at this moment. She subconsciously gripped the arms of her chair tightly.

Dr. Lecter cocked his head to the side slightly as if he were puzzled by something. “Miss Bloom while it seems reasonable - admirable even- to support one's friends when they are in need, why would continue to support Will? Correct me if I assumed wrong but I believe you are aware of the fate that befell Abigail by Will’s hand.Even I could not bring myself to reconcile with Will after I heard about this tragedy and I consider Will to be one of my closest friends” he stated as he continued to carefully monitor her reactions.

Rachael smothered to urge to grind her teeth together as frustration filled her again. She could understand how Alana could miscalculate so badly but she never in her life thought that two highly trained psychiatrists would make the same mistake. At this point she knew that she had taken enough frustration that day and if she continued to bottle her emotions then the outburst would be unpleasant to say the least. She gave up on keeping appearances and let her annoyance show on her face as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly. 

“I can understand why you could objectively think that Will could have done that but I draw the line at a person saying that they are his friend. There is no way in hell that WIll would do anything to that girl and anyone thinks that he should be ashamed” she said in a monotone voice. 

"I can sympathize with your frustration Miss Bloom but I please ask that you refrain from insulting me in my own office. I generally ask that all my patients exercise common courtesy while in my presence " he said as his eyes glinted dangerously in the afternoon light. 

Rachael shot out of her chair and said "Don't patronize me Dr. Lecter! I've had enough of psychiatrists acting like they don't understand people after twelve years of study. To me it seems that you are either being willfully ignorant or you know that he didn't and you're acting like you have no idea" she blazed at. She knew she was going overboard but she couldn't control herself anymore. She tried to take a few deep breaths as he responded. 

"I am not being willfully ignorant, Miss Bloom. I would otherwise immediately accept your hypothesis if I had not seen the evidence with my own eyes" he said as he gazed up at her from his seat. For some reason Rachael sensed danger coming from him. A slight tingling that ran up her spine. A warning that she was in dangerous territory. Still she would not let this drop. She ploughed on. 

" Well then he has to have been framed by someone. Evidence can be faked. He just. He just wouldn't, ok?" she sighed as she slumped back down into her chair. Suddenly she lost all the will to fight about this. Her hands were still buzzing and she just wanted to go home. At this point she knew she probably wouldn't be able to see Will again and she kicked herself for her lack of self control. She knew she was better than this. 

The silence stretched on for a moment. The tension in the air had all but dissipated however there was still an intensity to the atmosphere that Rachael couldn't shake. As if this moment would decide the outcome of the rest of her life. She knew that every person only had a few of these moments. The ones that can make or break you. So she sat perfectly still and waited. 

"As much as I hate to admit my own oversites I can acknowledge where I may be wrong. I am not saying that Will did not kill Abigail but perhaps the investigators overlooked something in their inquiry." he paused and made eye contact with her as she stared at him. She felt her face filling with heat as she once again noticed how impossibly attractive he was. “Perhaps after you have seen Will you could return and we could review the facts of the case? I would find it prudent to see you again after all considering Will is an extremely prolific profiler with the ability to manipulate anyone. Just as a precaution.” 

Rachael was dumbfounded. She could not believe the audacity of this man. She knew that what he had said was a risk to his whole career. It was wildly unprofessional not to mention illegal. So he must have known how desperate she was to get will out of this situation. She knew that it was a risk to herself as well. While Dr. Lecter seemed like a gentleman in most respects there was something about him that made all of her hairs stand on end. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. 

“Same time next week?”

He grabbed a book a small table next to his chair and seemed to examine the contents for a second before replying.”That sounds perfect Miss Bloom. Shall I escort you out?”

Hannibal sat at his desk after Miss Bloom’s departure. She truly was a character. He wondered how she had not revealed herself to anyone yet considering how frayed her control was. He had noticed how her hands twitched throughout the conversation. He truly had found it amusing to push her over the edge and he had been surprised when she had insulted him in his own office. It seemed that he would be suitably entertained for the next few months.

**Author's Note:**

> hi. this is my first fanfic here so it probably isn't the best but I tried. the tags will update as I write but I also wouldn't mind if tags got recommended since I'm new at this. also comments and critiques are always welcome so that I can improve. stay safe and have a great day <3


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